Egyptian Citizenship Application: Steps, Documents, Visits to Cairo and Timeline

The Egyptian procedure has five official steps and one feature that surprises clients: you cannot do it fully from home. Below are the steps as published on the official steps page, checked on 26 October 2026.

Step 1: the application and documents

The application is filed at the reception of the unit, which sits at the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), 3 Salah Salem Road, Cairo, in person or through immigration agents. The portal lists these documents:

• a copy of the foreign passport and the original birth certificate or an official extract;
• 6 recent photos;
• a declaration of any other citizenships;
• the wives and children, their citizenships and documents proving them, such as passports or ID cards;
• an official certificate from the home country that you have no conviction for a felony or a crime against honour, certified there and by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
• a criminal record certificate from the Egyptian authorities;
• an official record of your movements for the last five years from your home country and your country of permanent residence, certified by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
• a medical examination certificate from a state hospital.

You may ask for the application and the decisions on it to be kept confidential.

Step 2: the $10,000 fee

A non-refundable fee of $10,000, or the equivalent, is paid by bank transfer from abroad to the Cabinet account at the Central Bank of Egypt. The portal publishes the account details.

Step 3: check and preliminary decision

Within three working days the reception tells you whether documents are missing. The unit then examines the file and takes a preliminary decision within 3 to 6 months of the complete file, in light of national security and after consulting the security bodies. The home page of the same portal says “at most three months”, so I plan with six.

Step 4: six months to complete the investment

After preliminary approval by the Prime Minister you get the right of temporary residence in Egypt for six months. In that time you complete the option: buy the property, get the project approved and pay, or place the deposit or the contribution.

Step 5: the final decision

The unit sends its final recommendation to the Prime Minister, who decides within three months of the complete documents. You receive a certificate of naturalisation and then the passport.

Visits to Cairo

BRIDGES, citing IMI Daily of November 2025, writes that the programme now requires at least two days of visits at filing and up to four weeks of visits after approval, so the process is no longer fully remote. I have not found this rule on the official portal, so treat it as practice reported by BRIDGES.

Realistic timelines

Source	What it says
Official portal, FAQ	6 to 12 months to the passport
Official portal, steps	3 to 6 months to the preliminary decision, then up to 6 months for the investment and up to 3 months for the final decision
BRIDGES programme page	6 to 12 months in practice

Two rules to know before filing

The fee is not returned on any outcome, and according to BRIDGES the applicant signs an acknowledgement that a refusal needs no reasons. The official FAQ also says citizenship can be withdrawn within 10 years if it was obtained by fraud or false statements, and within 5 years after a conviction in Egypt for a felony or a crime against honour.

Who can join your application is in the family guide.